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Posted at June 4, 2014, by Raleigh Addington, Comments Off on “More power should be given to cities” argues Danny Finkelstein

Daniel Finkelstein, political speaker and Executive Editor of the Times, recently argued in an opinion piece for the Times that more power should be given to cities because people are happier living in them. Working with Edward Glaeser, author of “Triumph of the City”, his colleagues from the Manhattan Institute, and the British think-tank Policy Exchange, of which Daniel is chairman of, he notes that:

Over half the world’s population is urban and this proportion is growing every month.

For those who live in the United States, living in metropolitan areas are vastly more productive.

Income per head in countries where most people live in cities is almost four times higher than in those where most people live in rural areas.

Reported life satisfaction rises with the share of the population that lives in cities.

City living is better for the environment.

Daniel raises the important fact that “this does not, of course, mean that everyone wants to live in a city. And certainly not that they should be compelled to. It does, however, mean that we should stop doing things that put people off living in them.” He goes on to say that “the most important message is that cities have to be given the ability to make a success of themselves”, and that if “we want places such as Manchester and Cambridge to thrive, they need more control over their own destiny.”